Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Creamy Cajun Chicken Alfredo has tons of flavor with perfectly seasoned chicken, tender pasta, a creamy sauce and is ready in about 25 minutes! Better than a restaurant and easy to make!
A Simple Pasta and Protein Dinner
This Cajun Chicken Alfredo is the kind of quick, comforting dinner that feels like you slid by your local restaurant to grab take out, but you actually made it at home instead. This chicken and pasta is truly simple to make and very easy to customize based on what you have on hand. The cajun flavors really take it up a notch!
Frequently Asked Questions:
To deglaze a pan means to add liquid to a hot pan after cooking (usually meat or vegetables) in order to loosen and dissolve the browned bits stuck to the bottom.
Those browned bits are packed with flavor. Deglazing turns what looks like a messy pan into liquid gold for flavor. Instead of washing those bits away, you use them to build a richer sauce. If a recipe says “deglaze the pan,” it’s really saying: “Don’t waste that flavor stuck to the bottom even though it looks like burnt bits.”
Serve this creamy and flavor-packed dish with a side of Caprese salad, oven-roasted broccoli drizzled with garlic butter, and a fluffy hot Dinner Roll or Garlic Bread. Another good option is a simple, big, green salad.
If you prefer a crispy chicken in your pasta, then yes, you can bread and fry it. I would recommend storing it separately from the pasta, so the crust doesn’t become overly soggy, and reheat the chicken in an air fryer to regain its crispy quality. Just use your favorite fired recipe for that.
Yes, if you would rather add your vegetables to the dish versus having them on the side, you can. Vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, or spinach would all be good additions. For the broccoli, just steam it first before adding.
Cajun Chicken Alfredo should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To reheat, microwave in 30-45 second intervals until thoroughly reheated. Do not recommend freezing.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- fettuccine pasta– Linguine noodles make a great alternative that pairs well with the creamy sauce in this dish.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts– Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are also a good and juicy option to use. This uses two larger chicken breasts that are sliced to create 4 thin cut chicken breasts. You can do it this way or you can just buy 4 thin cut breasts if you can find them.
- Cajun seasoning – you could also use a creole seasoning as well since they are super similar
- garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning – these all add great layers of flavor but please fell free to tailor this recipe to your tastes.
- smoked paprika– or you may want to use regular paprika if that is all you have but the smokiness adds great flavor!
- olive oil– Avocado oil, and grapeseed oils are all good substitutes. You want something with a high smoke point so it doesn’t burn.
- julienned sun-dried tomatoes in oil – this adds so much fantastic flavor but I know some people just hate any kind of tomato so if that is you, just leave it out.
- salted butter– If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dish.
- garlic – Alternatively, you can use jarred minced garlic; in this case, you will need 3 Tablespoons (but please try to use fresh as it will give you the best flavor.)
- white wine– if you’re worried about using wine in this, there is an alternative. You can substitute it with chicken broth, I would probably use a low sodium chicken broth. Personally, I don’t taste the wine flavor in this (I am not a wine drinker and don’t really like it) but as always, taste is subjective so use what works for you.
- heavy cream – it’s gotta be heavy cream y’all, sorry, no substitutes on this one. Maybe you could get away with half and half but that’s about it. Heavy cream is absolutely the way to go with any alfredo dish.
- grated Parmesan cheese– It would be best if you grate it yourself. In doing so, you will get a creamier and smoother sauce. Now that being said, you can still use pre-grated cheese if you need to and that is what you have on hand.
How To Make Cajun Chicken Alfredo:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles and set aside. Season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest.
In the same skillet, add the sun-dried tomatoes, butter, and garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant (about 1 minute.)
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and remaining Cajun seasoning. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens in about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix until well combined.
Slice the chicken and serve it on top of the pasta.
Craving More Recipes?
Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to create 4 thin chicken breasts
- 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (divided use)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (more, as needed)
- ¼ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup white wine (can use low sodium chicken broth)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 1 pound fettuccine pasta according to the package instructions. Drain pasta and set aside. Note: If you are concerned about the pasta sticking together, just drizzle a small bit of olive oil on the pasta and gently toss. Don't use too much or the sauce won't adhere well to the pasta later.
- In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.Season both sides of 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to create 4 thin chicken breasts with the seasoning mixture.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (flipping halfway through cooking.) Add a little more oil as needed. When cooked, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest.
- In the same skillet, add 1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes in oil, 2 Tablespoons salted butter and 6 garlic cloves, minced. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup white wine (scraping up all those brown bits.) Then stir in 2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Add the cooked fettuccine pasta to the sauce and mix until well combined.
- Slice the chicken breasts and serve it on top of the pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Hey Brandie I will be making this for Sunday dinner thanks for the new recipes I’ve seen so far. As always I appreciate you sharing. I’ll let u know how I did as I’m sure your recipe is delicious per usual
Thank you so very much Tabbitha! Hope you love this one!
Simple and very delicious.